'Manifesto' given over to vics' kin

Kid slayer's parents keep texts hidden

Nashville shooter Audrey Hale’s parents have transferred ownership of her “manifesto” to the families of Covenant School students who are battling to stop them being released.

The move effectively means that the killer’s family is working with families left reeling by the 28-yearold shooter’s rampage, which killed six, to stop her voluminous writings being made public.

Hale, who was transgender, blasted into the private elementary school on the morning of March 27 and carried out the killing spree before Metro Nashville police shot her down.

She had written diaries, journals and drawings which freedom of information advocates are seeking to make public.

Several politicians, a newspaper and gun-rights groups are seeking the release of Hale’s writings, arguing any potential changes to firearm regulations based on the shooting would not be fair without knowing more about Hale’s motives and mental state.

Doug Pierce, an attorney for the National Police Association who is seeking to release the writings, told Fox News: “One of the lawyers for the parents introduced a criminal defense lawyer who says that he represents the parents of the shooter.”

‘Shooter died without will’

“He said that the shooter died without having a will and therefore has no other heirs, so . . . he says [the writings] belong to the parents, and the parents are going to assign their interest in those writings to the school.”

However, Pierce countered: “If public officials take them into custody as part of their duties, which is what happened here when police took them, they become part of the public record.”

Students Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney were killed, as well as janitor Mike Hill, substitute teacher Cynthia Peak and headmistress Katherine Koonce, who reportedly ran toward Hale to protect the kids.

Last month, in an unprecedented move, Chancery Court Judge I’Ashea Myles ruled 100 of The

Covenant School’s 112 families had a right to intervene in the litigation, and said she would consider arguments from the families’ camp.

The groups seeking access to the documents have since appealed Myles’ decision and asked the judge to suspend proceedings pending the appeals process.

However, the Metro Nashville Police Department remains in control of the manifesto, regardless of who technically owns it. And police have said Hale’s writings are part of an ongoing investigation, which could take another year.